Steam powered refrigeration systems



Feb. 14, 1967 w. T. OSBORNE 3,303,874

STEAM POWERED REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 1, 1964 INVENTOR. WILLIAM T USBURNE ATTURNE'Y' United States Patent 3 303 874 STEAM POWERED FZEFEHGERATION SYSTEMS William T. @sborne, Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 393,575 4 Claims. (Cl. 165-32) This invention relates generally to a refrigeration system and to a method of providing refrigeration and, more particularly, to a system and method for balancing power and refrigerant fluids in a refrigeration machine wherein a power fluid drives a refrigerant compressor and the refrigerant and power fluids are mixed and subsequently separated and passed to their respective sides to balance the system and for reuse in the system.

The present invention is particularly applicable for use in a heating and cooling system generally as disclosed in a copending U.S. patent application of Louis H. Leonard, Jr., entitled, Heating and Cooling System, Serial No. 377,258, and filed June 23, 1964. Therein, cooling capacity of the system is regulated by controlled blanket ing of a steam condenser with a noncondensible (refrigerant) vapor for varying the steam discharge pressure of a steam turbine section of a turbocompressor to vary the refrigerant output ofthe compressor section. Refrigerant vapor, and any water vapor carried thereby, is withdrawn from the steam condenser by a purge system and passed into a cooler or evaporator which has provision for separating refrigerant and water. From the cooler, refrigerant is recirculated through the refrigerant side of the system and water may be returned, as needed, to the power side of the system.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved refrigeration system and a method of providing refrigeration.

A further object is provision for use in a refrigeration system having a power side and a refrigerant side, of a new and improved balancing system and method for passing refrigerant fluid and power fluid between the refrigerant and power sides so that these fluids may be reused in the system and to maintain adequate balance of the fluids throughout the system.

A more specific object is provision of a new and improved fluid balancing system for a steam powered refrigeration system including a refrigerant side having a cooler with provision for storing water, a power side including a steam condenser, and a steam driven engine in circuit for discharging steam into the steam condenser and operating the refrigerant side, with provision for passing water between the cooler and the steam condenser to maintain a substantially predetermined water level on the power side of the system and including conduit means having a first valve for passing water from the cooler to the steam condenser when the first valve is open and a second valve for passing water from the steam condenser to the cooler when the second valve is open, and provision for opening the first valve responsive to a predetermined low water level in the steam condenser and for opening the second valve responsive to a predetermined high water level in the steam condenser.

Another more specific object is provision of a new and improved method of balancing fluids in a steam powered refrigeration system having a cooler with provision for storing water, a steam condenser, a conduit including a first valve for passing water from the cooler to the steam condenser when the valve is open and a second valve for passing water from the steam condenser to the cooler when the second valve is open, the method including the steps of passing water from the cooler to the steam condenser by opening the first valve only when a Patented Feb. 14, 1967 predetermined low water level is reached in the steam condenser, and passing water from the steam condenser to the cooler by opening the second valve only when a predetermined high water level is reached in the steam condenser.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing which is a flow diagram of a refrigeration system incorporating features of the invention.

The system may be considered as having a power side including a circuit for the circulation of a power fluid and a refrigerant side having a circuit for the flow of refrigerant fluid under the influence of a prime mover driven by the power fluid, with the operation of the system regulated by a control system.

The invention will be described with reference to a preferred power fluid, which is water, and a preferred refrigerant fluid which is octafluorocyclobutane, commonly referred to as C318 and having a chemical formula C 1 as is more fully discussed in the previously mentioned patent application. However, other power fluids and refrigerants having the desired chemical and physical properties may be utilized within the scope of this invention.

A more complete description of the system may be had from the aforementioned patent application. In brief, and with reference to the drawing, on the power side a turbocompressor 11 has a turbine section 12 which receives steam, preferably at a constant pressure, through a steam line 13 from a steam generator 14 and discharges steam through a discharge line 15 into a steam condenser 16 including a steam condensate chamber 17 for storing condensate and from which the condensate is returned to the steam generator through a steam condensate line 18 by means of a steam condensate pump 19 in the line 13. On the refrigerant side, a compressor section 20 of the turbocompressor 11 receives refrigerant vapor through a suction line 231. and passes the compressed vapor through a line 22 to a refrigerant condenser 23 from which the refrigerant condensate passes through a condensate line 24 to a suitable refrigerant flow restricting means such as a float valve unit 25 and then through an inlet line 26 to a cooler or evaporator 27. A chilled water line 28 communicates with a flooded chilled Water tube bundle 29 in a pan 30 in the cooler 27, and this bundle is cooled by and vaporizes liquid refrigerant in the pan. The refrigerant vapor is returned to the compressor through the suction line 21, thus completing a basic refrigeration cycle.

The turbocompressor 11 is preferably equipped with water lubricated bearings. Water for lubricating the bearings passes through a lubricant water line 31 from the outlet of the steam condensate pump 19 to the turbocompressor. Lubricant water and any leakage of refrigerant from the compressor passes through a drain line 32 and into the steam condenser 16.

Cooling capacity of the refrigeration system is regulated by regulating the condensing capacity of the steam condenser 16 to vary its pressure and therefore the discharge pressure of the turbine 12, thus varying the turbocompressor output and, more particularly, the refrigerant output of the compressor 2!).

Steam condenser pressure is regulated by controlled blanketing of a steam condensing tube bundle (not shown) with a noncondensible (refrigerant) vapor introduced into the steam condenser through a refrigerantline 33 from the cooler 27, and this line has a modulating refrigerant valve 34 controlled responsive to chilled water temperature as by a sensor 35 on the chilled water line 28. As the cooling requirement drops, the chilled water temperature also drops and the sensor 35 causes the valve 34 to .3 open sutficiently to increase the blanketing within the steam condenser 16 and thereby increase the condenser and turbine discharge pressures to reduce the output of the turbocompressor 11, thus reducing the cooling capacity of the system. Conversely, should the cooling requirement increase, the sensor 35 closes the valve 34 sufficiently to reduce the blanketing within the steam condenser 16, thus reducing the turbine back pressure and increasing the output of the turbocompressor 11 to increase the cooling capacity of the system.

The balancing system includes a purge system having a purge line 36 opening into the steam condensate chamber 17 for withdrawing refrigerant vapor and any water vapor carried therelby from the steam condenser 16, preferably at a constant rate. The purge line 36 opens into a throat portion of a jet pump 37 positioned in a water sump 38 for discharging the refrigerant vapor into the cooler. The sump 38 provides a water storage container in a lower portion of the cooler 27. A water supply pump 39 has its inlet connected with the cooler sump 38 by means of a line 40 and an outlet connected with the jet pump 37 by means of a line 41 to provide impeller water for operating the jet pump and recirculating the water through the cooler sump. Hot vapor from the steam condenser 16 maintains the sump 38 preferably at least F. above the temperature of a refrigerant chamber 42 which is above the pan 36 in an upper portion of the cooler 27, so that refrigerant injected into the sump 38 is a vapor and passes upwardly about the pan and into the refrigerant chamber for return to the compressor 20 through the suction line 21 which opens into the refrigerant chamber. Any water passing with the liquid refrigerant into the pan 30 through the line 26, or condensing in the refrigerant chamber 42 and settling onto the liquid refrigerant in the pan, passes to the left end of the pan and through a suitable weir or port 43 and into the sump 38.

In order to maintain a desired predetermined quantity of water on the power side of the system, conduit means in the form of water lines including a first water line 44 is provided between the outlet of the water supply pump 39 and the steam condensate chamber 17. A normally closed first solenoid operated shut-off valve 45 in the first water line 44 is opened when the condensate level in the steam condensate chamber 17 drops to a predetermined low level so that the water supply pump 39 may pass water from the cooler sump 38 into the condensate chamber 17. Herein, the first valve 45 is operated by a first sensor 46 including a pair of electrical probes, a first of the probes 47 being at a low elevation for opening the valve 45 when the water level drops below this probe, and a second probe 48 at a higher elevation for closing the valve when the water level rises to engage the second probe.

A second Water line 49 includes a second normally closed solenoid operated shut-off valve 50 and extends between the purge line 36 and a portion of the first water line 44 between the steam condensate chamber 17 and the first valve 45 for passing steam condensate from the condensate chamber to the cooler 27 when the second valve 50 is opened. The jet pump 37 in the cooler sump 38 provides the necessary force for passing the water from the relatively low pressure condensate chamber to the relat-ively high pressure cooler. A second sensor 51 includes a third probe 52 at a high elevation, but below the opening of the purge line 36 into the condensate chamber 17 so that water is not drawn through the purge line. When the third probe 52 is engaged by the water, the second sensor is operative for opening the second valve 50 and for maintaining the second valve open until the water level drops below a fourth probe 53 at a lower elevation than the third probe 52 and above the elevation of the first probe 48. The sensors 46 and 51 may be of any suitable type, for example, such as a commercially available sensor assembly No. R7089, manufactured by Honeywell, Minneapolis, Minn.

Thus, refrigerant is returned from the power side to the refrigerant side through the purge system, and water is passed between the refrigerant side and the power side through the water lines, as 44 and 49, to maintain a desired predetermined quantity of water on the power side.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fluid balancing system for a steam powered refrigeration system comprising a refrigerant side including a cooler having provision for storing water, a power side including a steam condenser, and a steam driven engine to operate the refrigerant side and in circuit for discharging steam into the steam condenser, and means for balancing water and refrigerant on the power and refrigerant sides and including, means for passing refrigerant vapor from the steam condenser to the cooler, and means for passing water between said cooler and said steam condenser to maintain a substantially predetermined water level on the power side of the system and including, conduit means including first valve means between said cooler and said steam condenser for passing water from said cooler to said steam condenser when said first valve means is open, and second valve means between said steam condenser and said cooler for passing steam condensate from said steam condenser to said cooler when said second valve means is open, first operating means for opening said first valve means responsive to a predetermined low Water level in said steam condenser and closing said first valve means responsive to a higher water level in said steam condenser, and second operating means for opening said second valve means responsive to a predetermined high water level in said steam condenser and closing said second valve means at a lower water level above said low water level in said steam condenser.

2. A fluid balancing system for a steam powered refrigeration system comprising a refrigerant side including a cooler having provision for storing water, a power side including a steam condenser having provision for storing water, and a steam driven engine to operate the refrigerant side and in circuit for discharging steam into the steam condenser, and means for balancing water and refrigerant on the power and refrigerant sides and including means for passing Water between said cooler and said steam condenser to maintain adequate water throughout the system and including, conduit means including first valve means for passing water from said cooler to said steam condenser when said first valve means is open, and second valve means for passing water from said steam condenser to said cooler when said second valve means is open, and operating means for opening said first valve means responsive to a predetermined low water level in said steam condenser and for opening said second valve means responsive to a predetermined high water level in said steam condenser.

3. A fluid balancing system for a steam powered refrigeration system comprising a refrigerant side including, a cooler having provision for separating water and refrigerant and storing the water, and a refrigerant compressor in circuit with said cooler for circulating refrigerant through the cooler during cooling operation; a power side including a steam generator and a steam condenser having provision for storing water, and a steam driven engine in circuit for receiving steam from the steam generator and discharging steam to the steam condenser to operate the compressor; and means for balancing water and refrigerant on the power and refrigerant sides and including, means for passing refrigerant vapor from the steam condenser to the cooler and including a jet pump for discharging water and refrigerant into said cooler, a water pump in circuit for receiving water from said cooler and for passing impeller water to said jet pump, and a purge line between said steam condenser and said jet pump for passing refrigerant to. the jet pump, and means operable for passing water betweensaid cooler and said steam condenser to maintain a substantially predetermined water level on the power side of the system and including, first conduit means including first valve means between the outlet of said water supply pump and said steam condenser for passing water from said cooler to said steam condenser when said first valve means is open, and second conduit means between said purge line and a portion of said first conduit means between said Water supply pump and said condensate chamber and including second valve means for passing steam condensate from said steam condenser to said cooler when said second valve means is open, first operating means for opening said first valve means responsive to a predetermined low water level in said steam condenser and closing said first valve means responsive to a higher water level in said steam condenser, and second operating means for opening said second valve means responsive to a predetermined high water level in said steam condenser and closing said second valve means at a lower water level above said low water level in said steam condenser.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said first and second valve means comprise solenoid valves, and said first and second operating means comprise eletcrical probes for contacting the water in said condensate chamber to operate the valves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,166,910 1/1965 Brunner 60107 MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner. 

1. A FLUID BALANCING SYSTEM FOR A STEAM POWERED REFRIGERATION SYSTEM COMPRISING A REFRIGERANT SIDE INCLUDING A COOLER HAVING PROVISION FOR STORING WATER, A POWER SIDE INCLUDING A STEAM CONDENSER, AND A STEAM DRIVEN ENGINE TO OPERATE THE REFRIGERANT SIDE AND IN CIRCUIT FOR DISCHARGING STEAM INTO THE STEAM CONDENSER, AND MEANS FOR BALANCING WATER AND REFRIGERANT ON THE POWER AND REFRIGERANT SIDES AND INCLUDING, MEANS FOR PASSING REFRIGERANT VAPOR FROM THE STEAM CONDENSER TO THE COOLER, AND MEANS FOR PASSING WATER BETWEEN SAID COOLER AND SAID STEAM CONDENSER TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY PREDETERMINED WATER LEVEL ON THE POWER SIDE OF THE SYSTEM AND INCLUDING, CONDUIT MEANS INCLUDING FIRST VALVE MEANS BETWEEN SAID COOLER AND SAID STEAM CONDENSER FOR PASSING WATER FROM SAID COOLER TO SAID STEAM CONDENSER WHEN SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS IS OPEN, AND SECOND VALVE MEANS BETWEEN SAID STEAM CONDENSER AND SAID COOLER FOR PASSING STEAM CONDENSATE FROM SAID STEAM CONDENSER TO SAID COOLER WHEN SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS IS OPEN, FIRST OPERATING MEANS FOR OPENING SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A PREDETERMINED LOW WATER LEVEL IN SAID STEAM CONDENSER AND CLOSING SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A HIGHER WATER LEVEL IN SAID STEAM CONDENSER, AND SECOND OPERATING MEANS FOR OPENING SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A PREDETERMINED HIGH WATER LEVEL IN SAID STEAM CONDENSER AND CLOSING SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS AT A LOWER WATER LEVEL ABOVE SAID LOW WATER LEVEL IN SAID STEAM CONDENSER. 